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Wednesday, 3 May 2017

Yesterday afternoon at 3.00, joy rang me at work to say she thought Apples was in labour, if I wanted to be there...of course I did! We were a bit concerned, as 3.00 is a bit late to start the birthing process. A little while later and the water sac appeared, followed by little white toes... then, with the head not appearing in a timely fashion and the feet disappearing back inside, we decided to have a feel as to what was going on...with Apples standing and me holding her head, with a lubricated surgical glove, Joy found that the feet were still in the forward position, however the head was turned sideways and facing backwards. Gradually, she managed to turn the head forwards, and with steady assistance we delivered a good-sized male, although there was a moderate umbelical bleed - we quickly got a clip on that. Apples wasn't put off by the intervention (and clearly needed it), and she quickly set about sniffing and licking her amazing new possession - a boy.

He quickly shook his head and struggled to sit up, showing plenty of vigour, and although bloodied, he didn't seem at all slowed by his experience. Apples had chosen to deliver on the brow of our hill, it was dry but blowing a cool easterly wind, so we carried him down hill to a more sheltered spot and let them bond, as the rest of the females got to know their new pal.

Eventually, he found the milk (it's agonizing watching them search all around, wobbling and falling backwards), and we breathed a sigh of relief, as it was getting late. We weighed him ( A healthy 7.85kg), and put a coat on, satisfied that he had dried and that Mum would accept the coat, and called him Jupiter, an apple variety, but also astronomically appropriate, as his sire is Polaris of Alpha Alpacas.

This morning at day-break, he was sitting up brightly beside his Mum, a great sight to see. He's been drinking during the day and wandering about, with little gallops.

(yes, we've undone the loop at the back, as it can cause chafing under the tail)

About Me

Starting with 3 female alpacas in August 2008, this blog' follows the development of an alpaca breeding and fleece enterprise: the husbandry, breeding, managing the land and the infrastructure - shelters, fencing, drainage etc., while keeping a day job going, and hopefully in a light-hearted way. Also see our 'sister' site: www.appleknit.co.uk for info on spinning, felting etc.
I enjoy pop and rock music. 'Shooting Stars', with Reeves and Mortimer, makes me cry with laughter - also the IT Crowd, and Miranda.
If you are looking to buy alpacas or fibre products, for any information or guidance, please e-mail: dave@applevalealpacas.co.uk
Web-site: www.applevalealpacas.co.uk